Tractor attachment



May 15, 1923. y 1,455,614

F. T. HEUER ET AL TRACTOR ATTACHMENT Filed Nov. 5, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet lEASSM F, T. HEUER ET AL TRACTOR ATTACHMENT Filed Nov. 5, 1920 2Sheets-Sheet 2 calnwnoz/ /-Zfaf May 15, T923.

Glwmeooeo Cil Patented lit/lay 15, i923.

n star FRED T. HEUER .AND GEORGE D. LATTA, F PRINCETON, ILLINOIS; SAIDlLATTA. ASSIGNOR TO SAID HEUER.

TRACTOR ATTACHMENT.

Application filed November 5, 1920. Serial No. 422,069.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, FRED T. HEUER and GEORGE D. LATTA, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Princeton, in the county of Bureau and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTractor Attachments; and we do declare the followingto be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to malte and use the same.

This invention relates broadly to improvements in tractors, and it hasmore particular reference to a plurality of attachments therefor, whichpermit the tractor to be operated by the same person who operates abinder or other trailer which is connected to the tractor, thusobviating the necessity of employing an additional man or operator forthe tractor as is ordinarily done.

The principle object of the invention is to provide a plurality ofsimple attachments for the clutch operating pedal, throttle lever` andsteering mechanism which are such that they permit the tractor to beeasily and conveniently operated from the trailer.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, andin which likev numerals are employed to designate like parts throughoutthe same:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of a conventional formof tractor and binder connected thereto, disclosing my improvedattachments in the manner in which they are associated with thesemachines.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the tractordisclosing my improved attachments more clearly and the manner in whichthey are associated with the respective parts to which they areattached.

Referring to the drawings, wherein the preferred embodiment of myinvention is clearly illustrated, it will be seen that the letter Tdesignates a conventional form of tractor, which as usual, includes aclutch operating,- pedal P, a throttle lever TL. and steering mechanismindicated as a whole, by the letters SM. Hitched or connected in anysuitable way to the tractor is a trailer which in this instance is inthe form of a binder B. All of my attachments consist broadly offlexible connections between the respective parts which they areintended to operate and the trailer, all of these attachments orconnections extending rearwardly from the tractor to the trailer andbeing operated from the latter.

The attachment or connection for actuating the clutch pedal comprises asubstantially L-shaped member or bell crank lever 1, the short arm ofwhich is apertured to permit passage therethrough of the opposite endsof U-clips 2 which are passed around. said clutch operating pedal in themanner disclosed. Detachably connected to a ring, 3 which is carried bythe long arm of said member`l is an operatingrod i this being connectedto the ring by means of an ordi nary snapefastener 5 and extendingreal'- wardly from the tractor to the trailer to a point withinconvenient reach of the operator of the' latter so that by pulling therod 4i towards him, he may depress the clutch pedal IJ to move it toineffective position. In order to retain this clutch pedal in itsineffective position, I employ a trip device which is in the form of anarm 6 pivoted intermediate its ends to the long arm of said L-shapedmember, this trip arm being provided at its free end with a shoulder 7which is adapted to engage the lateral projection 8 on the tractor. Arope 9 or the like is detachably connected to the opposite end of thistrip arm, and this rope serves to disengage the arm 6 from the projection 8 when it is pulled toward the operator of the trailer in thesame manner that the operating; member 4 is actuated.

The throttle lever is likewise operated by a rearwardly ext-ending rodor similar ele/- ment 10 which is connected therewith and extends withinconvenient reach of the binder operator. This rod 10 may be suitablyconnected with the throttle lever in various ways, it being preferablyconnected therewith through the medium of a two-part clamp 11 whichpermits it to be readily attached and detached.

The tractor is steered from the binder by means of a shaft 12 made up ofa plurality of elements which are universally connected with one anotheras indicated at 13, the fore-most element of this shaft carrying beveledgear 14 which is adapted to mesh with a similar gear 15 for the purposeof Cil an attaching member 17' connected to the.

spokes of the'steering wheel and operatively 'connected with thesteering rod. A housing 1.8, which constitutes a bearing for the lastnamed element of the operating shaft l2 and serves as a cover for thegears, is einployed, this being preferably Connected to a transverseboard which is in turn car ied by the uprightot the hood orcanopy Hotthe tractor. At its opposite end, the shat't 12 is provided with a handwheel'QO which serves to impart rotation thereto and in turn impartrotation to the steering rod of thc tractor.

The operation of the device is as -itollows: The clutch pedal P lin theposition in which it is shown in the drawingsis ine'lnective andassuming that it is desired to 'throw the clutch out to move it toineffective position, this may be done by pulling rearwardly on theoperating rod 4, Such' movement of this rod will move the lever l insuch a manner as to depress or move the clutch pedal downwardly and whenthe lever l has been moved suiiiciently, the trip arm 6 willautomatically engage the extension 8 and retain the clutch pedal in thisineffective position.

To release the clutch pedal, it is only necessary to exert a rearwardpull on the rope t) which will in turn disengage the trip arm and thespring of the clutch pedal will auto-l matically return the lattertooperative or effective position. lVhen it is found desira- 'ble todecrease or increase the speed by mov- 'ing the throttle lever, this may'be done by moving the rod 10 'forwardly or rearwardly as the case maybe. It is obvious that rotating the' hand wheel 20 in one direction willimpart rotation to the' steering wheel of the tractor and cause thelatter to move in the f further descriptionof the operation and apiplication of my improvedv yattachment is thought unnecessary. p i y Fromthe foregoing description it will be seen that l have devised aplurality of eX- tremely advantageous attachments Jfor a tractor. whichenable me to 'operatetlie latter :trom a binder or other trailer whichis vconnected-to the tractor, thus dispensing with the additionaloperator who is usually employed to operate the tractor. My improvedkattachments permitk me to effectively steer the tractor, operate theclutch pedal, and

.actuate the throttle lever.v My attachments are extremelyA simple inconstruction and easy to attach and detach, and are such in constructionthat they insure effective oper* ation.` rlhese and other advantages andeatures of my invention have, no doubt, become apparent from' theforegoing description. s ,n f Since probably the best results may beobtained with the construction and arrangement of parts shown vanddescribed herein, this construction and arrangement is ltaken as thepreferred embodiment of my invention. However, l wish it to beunderstoodthat various minor changes'in the shape,

size, and arrangement of parts'may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit of t-he invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

l. The combination with` a tractor provided witha clutch pedal and atrailer connected'to the tractor; or" a bell-cranlrlever detachablyconnected to the pedal, anvoperating rod pivotally connected to saidlever, eXtenduing vrearwardly to and being operable from the trailer,avk shoulder on said tractor, a triplever ycarried by said iirstleverand being engageable with the shoulder, andan operating member extendingrearwardly from. the trip-lever tov thetrailer, being likewiseoperablefrom thelatter.` i

2. In combination, a tractorincluding a clutch operating pedal, atrailer connectedk with said tractor," and means associated with saidpedal and controlled from the trailer for operating the pedal fromthelattei In testimony whereof. we'have hereunto set our hands. Y

'l FRED T. HEUER.

GEORGE D. LATTA.

